Speckled Trout Tournament Joins the Ranks of the Louisiana Saltwater Series

(Aug. 30, 2011)– Trout anglers hungry for competition can look forward to an exciting new tournament to hit Lake Pontchartrain this fall. With the success of the 2011 redfish tournaments, the Louisiana Saltwater Series recently expanded to include speckled trout and yellowfin tuna.

Hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the seriesis dedicated to catch-and-release saltwater angling through a series of agency-sponsored fishing tournaments. The tag-and-release tournament is scheduled for Saturday, October 22 at The Dock/Dockside Bait and Tackle in Slidell. LDWF officials will be on hand to help weigh, measure tag and release the trout.

Since its inception in 2004, over 38,000 speckled trout have been tagged through Louisiana’s Cooperative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program. The program has been a cooperative project of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Coastal Conservation Association for seven years. However, tagging data on the species dates back to 1989.

“It is through the tagging process and the supporting information provided by cooperating fishermen that we collect the data necessary for tagging projects to succeed,” said LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina. “Utilizing volunteer taggers allows us to tag a greater number of fish from a wider geographic area.”

There is a $100 entry fee for the event. For teams consisting of three members, only two of the members may be 16 or older. The tournament is a 100 percent payout, and payout is determined based upon the total number of boats entered. In addition, there will be hourly prize winners. Scales will be open all day, and the overall winners will be determined at weigh in close.

“The purpose of this tournament is to not only provide a competitive opportunity to the large number of anglers who reside in the area, but to introduce as many anglers as possible to our tagging program and the benefits it can yield,” said Pausina.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.